Breaking Borders: Migration Documentaries - Ana's Story |
Breaking Borders: Migration Documentaries
Southern Africa has a long history of mobile populations, and with economic and political instability in neighbouring countries, this has meant that South Africa is at the focal point of this movement. Many people come from countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, etc, looking for a better life, yet often find difficulties and hardships. Mobile populations are also especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other health risks, as well as to becoming victims of human trafficking. South African migration is not solely outward, though; the country also suffers from the flight of skilled and educated workers, particularly in education and health services.
Migration is an important part of South Africa’s social fabric. Yet we rarely hear the stories of how it is for a Zimbabwean to leave their home, or what it is like to be a refugee from Congo, qualified to be a teacher or nurse, and unable to find any kind of work in their new home country. We rarely hear the voices of the many farm workers, miners, etc, and do often not consider the many issues related to migration. At the same time, since many of these issues are sensitive, and many migrants difficult to access, media and journalists are challenged to report accurately and effectively on these issues. This project aims to address this gap in media access. Fahamu Networks for Social Justice and CMFD Productions, with funding from the Open Society Foundation, collaborated to work with radio journalists and people from migrant communities to explore migration issues, and create a series of radio documentaries. The overall objectives are to build the capacity of radio journalists to report on issues related to migration, provide an opportunity for migrant communities to access the media, and produce engaging documentaries that offer depth, insight and balanced coverage of the issues and chronicle the often-unheard issues and experiences of this segment of the population.
"Ana's Story" was facilitated through ACMS. Ana Ndlomo is a young woman from Mpumalanga who migrated to Johannesburg in 2004. Soon after she arrived, she met Connie, who helped her find a place to stay and some work. In 2004, Ana discovered she was HIV positive, and probably contracted the disease from her husband. Ana struggled with the diagnosis, but eventually came to accept that it did not mean the end of her life. She now works part time with the sex worker’s advocacy organisation Sisonke, educating sex workers in hotels and on the streets about safer sex, condom use, and HIV counseling and testing.
To request a copy of the CD, pls email deb@cmfd.org.